\(\mathbb R\)-linear problem for multiply connected domains and alternating method of Schwarz (Q357257)

The authors apply a version of the alternating method of Schwarz to a system of boundary value problems involving several disjoint domains \(D_k\) in the complex plane \(\mathbb C\). Suppose that each \(D_k\) is bounded by a smooth simple curve \(L_k\), oriented counterclockwise. Let \(a,b,c\) be Hölder continuous functions on \(L=\bigcup L_k\) such that \(a\neq 0\). Also denote \(D=\overline{\mathbb C}\setminus \bigcup \overline{D_k}\). The \(\mathbb R\)-linear conjugation problem is to find a function \(\varphi\) that is holomorphic in the complement of \(L\), is continuous up to the boundary of each domain \(D, D_k\), and satisfies the equation \(\varphi^+=a\varphi^{-} + b \overline{\varphi^{-}} +c\) on \(L\). Here \(\varphi^{+}\) and \(\varphi^{-}\) stand for the boundary values of \(\varphi\) on \(L\) as approached from \(D\) and from \(D_k\), respectively. In addition, \(\varphi\) must vanish at infinity. The following result (Theorem 1 in the paper) generalizes a 1960 theorem by the first-named author. Suppose in addition that \(|b|<a\) on \(L\), and let \(\kappa\) be the winding number of \(a\) on \(\partial D\). If \(\kappa\geq 0\), then the problem stated above has a solution. Furthermore, the homogeneous problem (\(c=0\)) has \(2\kappa\) \(\mathbb R\)-linearly independent solutions vanishing at infinity. If \(\kappa<0\), then the solution does not necessarily exist. The article includes a historical overview of this and related boundary value problems, supported by a long list of references.